I’m doing the final edit on The Judas Tree, then I turn it over to the Beta readers, and with luck, I’ll have it out by Christmas.

That said, I’m setting the stage for some characters and situations that will figure big time in the next several novels.

One is a new deputy named Tom Sorenson. Will Diaz, the central character in my Lawman series knows the family, but really didn’t know him. Tom has been an MP but in the Marines. He tells Will he went through Boot with his cousin, Tomas. He calls him one seriously squared away Marine. Will tells Tom that Tomas recently got back in touch with him, and they’re continuing a chess game (which you the reader won’t see until a flashback in the next novel) by mail.

Tom, however has a secret. He’s desperately trying to leave a string of failures behind. None of those will be resolved in The Judas Tree. We’re not even made aware of them yet.

One situation that we do see happen, but we don’t know what happens behind the scenes, occurs with Pam. During a Warrant service, she catches a bullet. Only her body armor saves her. We get bits and pieces of how she’s coping with it, but her counselor (Will’s wife, Jewell) is tight lipped about what’s going on. All that will come out later, but not yet.

The final situation is what can only be called a declaration of war. Not on Will and Company, but on others. Will is told to stay the hell out of the way, something that won’t happen.

So, stay tuned.

The Judas Tree – Out for Christmas (I hope).